Alternatives to PDF Tools

Emacs package for viewing, searching and annotating PDF files inside the editor. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as PDF Tools.

  • zathura

    A minimal, keyboard-driven document viewer with plugin support for PDF, PostScript and DjVu.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    zathura is a standalone keyboard-driven Linux viewer with vim-like keys and SyncTeX support, used outside Emacs and configured through text files.

  • Skim

    macOS PDF reader and annotator built for reading papers.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Skim is a standalone macOS reader and annotator with SyncTeX integration for LaTeX, working outside Emacs but only on macOS.

  • Sioyek

    A PDF reader built for textbooks and research papers, with keyboard control and quick jumps to figures and references.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Sioyek is a standalone open-source reader for Windows, macOS and Linux with keyboard control, reference overlays and LaTeX forward and inverse search.

  • qpdfview

    A tabbed Qt document viewer for PDF, PostScript and DjVu files.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    qpdfview is a tabbed Qt viewer on Linux with SyncTeX support for LaTeX, running as its own app with only rudimentary annotation.

  • Okular

    Universal document viewer for PDF, EPUB, comics, DjVu and more.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Okular is a KDE viewer and annotator for Windows, macOS and Linux that opens many formats and stores annotations separately, outside Emacs.

  • Sumatra PDF

    A small, fast, open-source reader for PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, DjVu and other documents on Windows.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsCommand line

    Sumatra PDF is a small fast Windows reader for PDF and ebook formats with customizable shortcuts, used outside Emacs and without annotation tools mentioned.

  • Evince

    GNOME's lightweight document viewer for PDF, PostScript and other document formats on Linux.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Evince is GNOME's simple Linux document viewer for PDF and PostScript, running as a desktop app rather than inside the editor.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.